How to create a cast shadow in Photoshop tutorial

How to understand and create shadows in Photoshop tutorial

One of the most important things in a believable composite, is shadows. They anchor objects and give them a sense of scale, distance and solidity.

There are 3 things you need to know about light to create a convincing shadow, as well as one other thing. Take this knowledge and apply it to the technique that I teach here and you will be able to create more convincing shadows. This is an essential skill to have if you want to combine images together in photoshop and create believable composites.

Instead of another “here are shadows” tutorial, this is a 2 parter. The first part explains how shadows work, so that you can make the right decisions without guessing when making your own.

Part 2 you will learn some cool tricks with things like Gradients on Quickmasks and Field blur to make your shadows look convincing with effortless ease.